House cleaning is one of those tasks that nobody really wants to do, but it is pretty much obligatory. This is the reason why it is one of the most commonly outsourced tasks in the US. The abundance of cleaning companies and maid services just proves it.
However, if you can’t manage your finances regarding cleaning, it can be very easy to start paying quite a lot more than you have to, or have the capacity to. This is a topic we discussed with cleaning professionals at All Star Cleaning Service. Here’s how they recommend you keep your spending on home cleaning in check.
Determine Your Monthly or Weekly Budget
Before anything else, you need to know how much money you’re willing or able to spend on house cleaning services. Think about your typical weekly or monthly budget. If you have surplus money after you’ve done all of your grocery shopping and paid all your bills, try figuring out what amount of money you can actually dedicate to this purpose.
Thinking in this way will give you a better idea of what kind of services to look for. After all, not all cleaning services provide the same level of service, and not all of them are equally affordable or equally professional.
Figure Out What Kind of Service Your Need
For you, house cleaning might just be that – cleaning your home. But for a professional maid, there are vast differences between a deep cleaning, a regular cleaning and a maintenance cleaning. Naturally, the cost and the time required to do each of these cleanings is different, so you might want to look into which type of cleaning is required.
However, more importantly, you should determine how often you should be getting these services. For a lot of people bi-weekly cleaning is about the perfect blend of cost and performance. However, if you have allergies or children or pets, you may need to increase your service frequency, provided your budget permits it.
Get Multiple Quotes from Cleaners in Your Area
As mentioned before, there are plenty of cleaning companies out there. You can find a maid service for just about any budget and any purpose. However, just because you found a cleaning company nearby that has good reviews or you may have heard good things about them, that doesn’t mean that you should immediately book them and be done with it.
Instead, look into multiple cleaning companies around and check out their websites. Chances are that they offer an online quote or something similar. Get quotes from multiple companies, see what they have on offer and compare them. Sure, it may take a bit longer, but at the same time, you will be ensuring that you get the best deal possible.
See If You Can Customize Your Cleaning Plan
If you go with a professional maid service, see if there’s any way to customize your cleaning plan. Can they only come over once every two weeks instead of every week? Or perhaps you don’t need them to clean the entire house, but just focus on certain areas.
You’d be surprised how much money you can save by just making a few tweaks here and there to your cleaning plan. All of the best cleaning companies do offer some flexibility to their plans, so you should at least try.
Keeping your finances in check means being aware of your spending and trying your best to optimize it. If hiring a maid service is one of your musts, as it is for many people, you should still make sure that you are getting the best bang for your buck.